FR2458214A1 - FEED DISPENSING DEVICE FOR ANIMALS, IN PARTICULAR SMALL ANIMALS - Google Patents

Abstract

DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD TO FARMED ANIMALS IN CAGES ARRANGED IN BATTERIES BY MEANS OF A DOSING CART 2 WHICH MOVES INSIDE A CHUTE 1 IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE LATTER AND PRESENTS A DISCHARGE ORGAN FOR THE FOOD AND WHICH PRECEDES A FILLING TUBING 3 BEING ORIENTED TOWARDS ONE OF THE LONGITUDINAL WALLS 11 OF THE CHUTE 1 WHILE ALLOWING AN INTERVAL.

Description

245 821 4

The present invention relates to a device for distributing food for animals reared in cages arranged in batteries, in particular

  small animals, by means of a feed chute

statement in which protrudes a tubular bulk feed filling tubing which can be moved

along the chute.

In known food distribution devices it is disadvantageous that the food can

build up in the filler neck when

pouring into the chute because the tubing passes, uncontrollably, over places where the chute still contains unconsumed food. The distance between the chute or its bottom and the plumbing tube or the lower end of the latter cannot be determined with sufficient precision, which means that the food often does not flow into the chute due to different friction conditions resulting from too small an interval. Therefore it is also not possible to dose, so

  precise, the amount of food spilled into the gou-

monkfish and which is necessary for the optimal feeding of animals. The object of the present invention is to create a device for distributing animal feed which allows a new metered filling of the chute while taking account of the possible presence of non-feed

consumed in the chute.

These problems are solved in accordance with the invention.

  tion by a food distribution device which is characterized in that it comprises a dosing carriage which moves inside the chute in the longitudinal direction of the latter and which has a delivery member for food, which member precedes the filling tube while being oriented towards one of the longitudinal walls of the chute while leaving a gap. This orientation of the organ of

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  repression has the effect that the food pushed sideways by the repressor, accumulates and is deposited along the longitudinal wall. Before or during the new filling of the chute, the delivery member pushes back and distributes the food not consumed and still present in the chute, along the longitudinal wall of the latter while

  leaving a predetermined amount of food

  born at the bottom of the chute so as to allow the filling tubing to distribute a quantity of food dosed on the layer still present and smoothed by the delivery member. As a result, the food can flow from the filling tubing uniformly distributed over the entire area occupied by the

  tubing relative to the longitudinal direction of the chute.

The chute, the bottom of which presents, for example, a

at least 80 mm is divided into two elongated zones

neighboring gates extending over the entire length of the chute and one of which is used for the passage of the

repression while the other receives food re-

pushed by the latter. The new food arriving through the filling tube is distributed in particular

in the area crossed by the delivery device.

  For the reasons explained, it is advantageous for the delivery member to extend as close as possible to one of the longitudinal walls of the. chute, in particular of the wall opposite the cages, occupying only part of the width of the chute. Food as a result,

  still present in the chute, is repelled by the or-

discharge duct towards the c8ty of the cages so

  let it be absorbed first by animals.

  It is possible to combine the dosing cart and the filling tubing but in this case the latter must have on the appropriate end, a delivery member and its longitudinal wall associated with the advanced tip of the delivery member must end at near the bottom of the chute. In order to be able to equip

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  later food distribution devices

roasting already in service and to be able to easily remove the metering trolley it is however advantageous that the trolley is constituted by a part which is separated from the filling tube and has sliding surfaces to allow its sliding on the face

bottom of the chute.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the carriage is guided on the bottom of the chute by pads which are advantageously provided in the vicinity

immediate of the associated longitudinal wall of the gou-

  monkfish and one of which consists of a stirrup, so

  that the dosing cart is always oriented perpendicular to the

in relation to the chute.

According to another embodiment of the invention-

  tiongune guide plate9provided, preferably, between two pads, is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the chute from the rear end of the delivery member. This guide plate is located between the two zones already mentioned and one of which is used for the passage of the delivery member, while the other

  receives food laterally repelled by the latter.

  In order to obtain a rigid assembly despite a cons-

light truction, the delivery member forms a point with a longitudinal plate and the lower edge of

  the latter is made to constitute one of the pads.

  Therefore the stirrup is located in the vicinity of the longitudinal wall of the chute against which the delivery member pushes the food so that the stirrup no longer moves this older food and not yet consumed. The guide plate is provided between the longitudinal plate and the pad facing it, so that the food leaving the filling tube arrives in the area which is close to the area in which the older food rests. The dosing trolley respectively the longitudinal plate divide the chute

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  in two functional zones which correspond to the two longitudinal zones mentioned and one of which is used for collecting food while the other is used for

the distribution of food through the delivery tubing

pleating.

  It is advantageous that the space delimited by the or-

discharge gane, the longitudinal plate and the guide plate, is closed on its upper side and in the vicinity of the filler neck by a cover plate. Therefore the food inside this space cannot escape through the

high during the advancement of the delivery member.

An improvement of the object of the invention is characterized in that the delivery member comprises

a height-adjustable ploughshare which is made up of

ference, by a t8le having an oblong hole and which is connected to a support plate fixed to the longitudinal plate by means of a screw passing through the oblong hole. It is thus possible to vary, at any

moment, the dosage of the amount of food distributed

  drink. The share can also be mounted so that it can

  adjust its height using a lever.

  In order to allow the share to marry irregularities

  tees from the bottom of the chute or the food on the bottom it is advantageous that the share of the

  repression is constituted, at least in its inferior zone

lower, by a flexible or elastic plate fixed to the t8le. According to another characteristic of the invention, the guide plate has a spacer on which is arranged, adjustable in height, at least one guide t8le forming the lower edge of the guide plate, so as to be able to also modify the effect dosing unit created using the guide plate. The quantity of food, leaving the dosing carriage laterally in the direction of the area in which the food does not

consumed has accumulated, can be increased proportionally-

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  when raising the guide spacer.

  According to a simple embodiment the guide t8le is mounted to pivot by its end opposite to the delivery member and the pivot axis is substantially perpendicular to the guide plate located in the upper zone of the latter, so

  that the guide plate can be placed in a position

  oblique tion by mounting from half the length of the dosing carriage towards the end of the latter to thereby create a tringular opening for the

passage of food.

  It is also advantageous for the carriage to have, for each direction of movement, and in particular at the two ends, delivery members which are directed towards the same longitudinal wall of the chute so that the carriage, of symmetrical shape, produces the same effect

  when moving in both directions.

  In order to be able to combine, in a simple way,

the filling trolley and tubing, the pre-

  feels, in particular between its ends, end stops

drag for the application of the filling tubing

  wise projecting between the longitudinal plate and the guide plate which allows to move the carriage, in a simple way, using the filling tube and an adaptation of the carriage to differences in level

  of the chute, independently of the filler neck

wise. The drive stops are made up of

  ference, by bent parts of the cover plate

really. The device according to the invention makes it possible to avoid, in a simple way, the arrival of too large a quantity of food in the chute so that it is possible to feed the animals three to five times a day with

fresh food without danger of overeating.

When filling the chute with fresh food, we take into account the amount of older food, not consumed and still present in the

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  chute to dispense more or less quantity

great fratche food.

  Various other features of the invention

  moreover emerge from the detailed description which follows.

  Embodiments of the object of the invention are shown, by way of nonlimiting examples,

to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partial-

sectional view of the carriage of the dispensing device

of food according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section along line II-II of

  fig. 1 but with the feed chute.

  Fig. 3 is a top view of one of the ex-

carriage hoppers in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top view of another form

of achievement.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the carriage

dispenser according to fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view of one of the ends of the

carriage of fig. 5.

  Figs. 1 to 3 show that the device for

food tribution according to the invention is constituted

by a feed chute 1 in which is available

se, to slide freely, a metering trolley 2. In the trolley 2 protrudes from the top, a filling tube 3, indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2, for food and whose lower end> 4 having the outlet opening for food, ends at a predetermined distance from the bottom 5 of the

chute 1.

  The metering trolley 2 which occupies only a small part of the length of the chute 1 and whose length is only slightly greater than the diameter of the filling tube 3, has a longitudinal plate 6 which is located in the immediate vicinity of one of the longitudinal walls 7 of the chute 1. The lower edge of the plate 6 forms a pad 8 which slides on the bottom 5 of the chute 1. At each end of the plate 6 and extending over the entire length of the metering carriage 2, a delivery member 9 is provided which forms, with the associated end of the longitudinal plate 6, a point 10 bordering directly on the longitudinal wall.

nale associated 7 of the chute 1. This delivery device

  ment 9 forms, seen in plan, an acute angle with the longitudinal plate 6. As a result, the push-back effect of the member 9 is exerted in the direction of the wall 11 of the chute 1, that is to say to say that the food present in the chute 1 is pushed back and piled up along the wall 11 during the movement of the carriage 2 in the direction of arrow 12 or arrow 13. The delivery member * 9 is mainly constituted by a support plate 14 vertical and rigidly connected to the associated end of the longitudinal plate 6, a coulter 15 being fixed on the side of the support plate 14 opposite the plate

  longitudinal 6. The share 15 is formed by a t8le is applied

  as for the outer side of the support plate 14 and the lower edge of which is at a level lower than the lower edge of the support plate 14. About the center of its width the t8 has an oblong hole 16 oriented vertically and which is used for the passage of a screw 17 retained by the support plate 14. On the screw 17 is mounted a nut, for example a wing nut 18, which makes it possible to adjust and immobilize the ploughshare 15 at the desired height . This described arrangement makes it possible to adjust the share 15 relative to the support plate 14 both vertically and angularly. The repressor

occupies only part of the width of the feed chute

  ment 1, so that its rear end 19 is at a certain distance from the longitudinal wall 11 of the chute 1 and that the food displaced by

  the discharge member 9, in the direction of the long wall

11, can stay in place by forming a raised strip between the wall 11 and the rear end

19 of the discharge member 9.

A guide plate 20 which, in the embodiment shown, connects the two rear ends 19 of the two delivery members 9, extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the chute 1 and of the plate 6, from the rear end 19 of the discharge member 9. The guide plate 20 has a support spacer 21 which is rigidly fixed to the rear ends of the support plate 14 of the two discharge members 9 and which, seen in section, moves upwards from the longitudinal plate 6. On the side

  of the support spacer 21 opposite the long plate

  tudinal 6, three guide t8les 22, 23 are provided

  arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction

  tudinal of the metering trolley 2 and whose middle tale 23 is slightly longer than the other two t8les 22 adjacent to the discharge members 9. Each of the guide t8les 22, 23 has, near its ends,

two vertical oblong holes 24 which are passed through, each

  cun, by a threaded rod 25 integral with the support spacer 21. It is thus possible to adjust the height of each guide t8le and to immobilize the t8les then at the desired height by means of nuts 26. A

intermediate layer 27 elastic and constituted for example

  filled with foam rubber, is disposed between the nuts 26 and the guide t8les 22, 23. These intermediate layers 27 apply the guide t8les 22, 23 elastically against the support spacer 21 in order to allow rapid adjustment of the tales of guidance by simply overcoming the friction force and without being obliged to loosen the nuts 26. The upper edge of the guide blades 22, 23 is bent in the direction of the

  longitudinal plate 6 in order to create means for pre-

hension 28 above the spacer 21. The lower edges

  laughers 29, being at a level lower than the longitudinal edge of the support spacer 21, can be adjusted continuously between a position in which they are almost in contact with the bottom 5 of the chute 1 and a position in which they are above the lower edge of the ploughshare 15. The lower edges 291 of

  two guide t8les 22 adjacent to the discharge members

9 and extending up to the immediate vicinity of the neighboring share 15, are bent at an obtuse angle towards the ex-

in order to occupy vertical or per-

  pendular with respect to the bottom 5 of the chute 1. The lower edge 30 of the median guide plate 23 is inclined towards the outside in accordance with the median plane of

the support spacer 21.

  Un.étrier 31 closed.and made of round steel, is provided at a certain distance from the outer side of the guide plates 22, 23. The different sections of the caliper 31, being at a certain angle relative to each other , have a common mean vertical plane which is inclined inward at a small angle to the mean longitudinal plane of the metering trolley 2. The

  support plates 14 extend in their upper zone

  rear and on their rear ends by legs

transverse 32 to which are fixed, on the one hand, the

  support rod 21-and, on the other hand, the stirrup 31 by its upper zone. The lower longitudinal branch of the stirrup 31 forms a second pad 33, which rests to slide on the bottom 5 of the chute 1. This pad 33 is only slightly shorter than the pad 8 and protrudes beyond the ends back 19 of the delivery organs 9. Older food and not consumed

by animals, is repelled by the organs of repression-

  ment 9 in the longitudinal zone delimited by the shoe 33 and the lower edges 29, 30 of the guide t8les 22, 23. Two drive stops 34, constituted by tabs projecting from the longitudinal plate 6 in the direction of the plate guide 20, are fixed on the inner side of the longitudinal plate 6 of the metering carriage 2 and between the rear ends 19 of the delivery members 9. The distance separating the stops

  34, one of the other, is slightly higher than

  less than the longitudinal extent of the replacement tubing

pleating 3 projecting between these stops. When moving the filling tube 3 provided on the dosing carriage 2, in the longitudinal direction of the gou-

monkfish 1, the carriage is moved at the same time inside

laughing of the chute 1 through the contact of the filling tube 3 with the corresponding stop 34. Since the dosing carriage 2 simply rests in the chute 1 while being guided by the pads 8, 33, all the inequalities of the chute are compensated for during the

moving the metering trolley 2.

In fig. 4 to 6 all the parts corresponding to those of figs. 1 to 3 have the same references but followed by a. For clarity, fig. 4 and 5 represent only the end part of the dosing cart

which is slightly longer than half the length

the cart.

  In the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 to

6, the lower part of the share 15a of the discharge member

  Lement 9a is constituted by a plate 35, a band eu

  analogous or elastic material, for example rubber

  cabbage or synthetic material, which allows

  reduce the wear of the share 15a. The lateral delimited space-

ment by the longitudinal plate 6a, the guide plate a and the support plate 14a respectively the share 15a, is covered by a plate 36 extending from the tip 10a of the delivery member 9a up to the stop associated drive 34a and which is fixed, for example, to the longitudinal plate 6a, to the support plate 14a and to the support spacer 21a. Therefore food cannot escape from the cart from above. The drive stop 34a can be produced in a simple manner

  by folding up the cover plate 36.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 4 to 6, has only two guide plates 22a, the opposite ends of which are practically in contact, one i :, '

* 11

  with each other, while the opposite ends are terminated

  mine in the immediate vicinity of the associated delivery device 9 *. Each of the guide plates 22a is mounted

to pivot on the support spacer 21a by the

  end of a bolt or threaded rod 26a. The pivot axis formed by the threaded rod 26a, is located near the end of the guide t81e 22a,

  opposite the delivery member 9a, at a higher level

  laughing at mid-height of t8le 22a and perpendicular-

lying in the median plane of the latter. Therefore the two pivot axes of the two guide sheets 22a are

  near each other in the upper area

  of the dosing cart. Each of the guide t8les

22a is guided on its end opposite the pivot axis

  26a by a finger 25a passing through an oblong and curved hole, the finger 25a being integral with the support spacer 21a. During the pivoting of the guide t8le 22a towards the position represented in mixed lines in FIG. 5,

its end being close to the retaining member

  Associated flow is at a level that is higher than that of the opposite end. On the end facing the delivery member 9a, each guide t81e 22a has an operating member 28a projecting beyond this end. The operating member can be constituted by a bent stirrup located in the upper zone of the dosing carriage between the share 15a and

the bracket 31a, so that it is possible to adjust quickly-

the guide plates. This adjustment of the guide plates 22a allows precise dosing, while the coulter adjustment is used when it comes to dispensing quantities

important food.

  The metering trolley according to the invention is suitable not only for feed troughs with a flat bottom but also for troughs the bottom of which has, for example, in the zone between the guide plate 20 or 20a and the associated longitudinal wall 11 of the chute 1, angular hollows or in the shape of a primitive circle or else

different profiles.

Claims (11)

  1 - Device for distributing food for animals reared in cages arranged in batteries,   especially small animals, by means of-   feed chute into which a   bulk feed filling tubing 5 tubing for vant 4tre moved along the chute, characterized in that the device comprises a dosing carriage (2) which moves inside the chute (1) in the longitudinal direction of the latter (arrow 12 or 13) and which has a delivery member (9, 9a) for the food member which precedes the filling tube (3) being oriented towards one of the longitudinal walls (11) of the chute (1) while leaving a interval. 2 - Device according to claim 1, charac- terized in that the delivery member (9) extends. juice-   that near one of the longitudinal walls (7) of the chute (1), in particular of the wall (7) opposite the cages, occupying only part of the width of the chute (1).   3 - Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the carriage (2) is constituted killed by a part which is separated from the filler neck (3) and has sliding surfaces to allow its sliding on the underside of the chute (1). 4 - Device according to one of claims   1 to 3, characterized in that the carriage (2) is guided on the bottom (5) of the chute (1) by pads (8, 33) which are advantageously provided in the immediate vicinity of the associated longitudinal wall (7 or 11) from the chute (1) and one of which is constituted by a stirrup (31). - Device according to one of the claims   1 to 4, characterized in that a guide plate (20) preferably provided between two pads (8, 33) is provided laid in the longitudinal direction of the chute (1) in   starting from the rear end (19) of the retaining member fouling (9). 6 - Device according to one of claims 1   to 5, characterized in that the delivery member - (9) forms a point (10) with a longitudinal plate (6) and the lower edge of the latter is produced for constitute one of the pads (8, 33).   7 - Device according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the guide plate (20) is provided between the longitudinal plate (6) and the shoe (33) facing him.   8 - Device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the space delimited by the delivery member (9a), the longitudinal plate (6a) and the guide plate (20a) is closed on its upper side laughing and in the vicinity of the filling pipe by a cover plate (36).   9 - Device according to one of claims 1   8, characterized in that the delivery member (9) comprises a ploughshare (15) adjustable in height and which is   preferably formed by a sheet having an ob-   lor (6) and which is connected to a support plate (14) fixed to the longitudinal plate (6) by means of a screw (17) passing through the oblong hole (16).   10 - Device according to one of claims 1 9, characterized in that the ploughshare (15) of the repression is constituted, at least in its inferior zone   lower, by a flexible or elastic plate (35) fixed to the sheet metal.   11 - Device according to one of claims to 10, characterized in that the guide plate (20) has a spacer (21) on which is arranged, adjustable in height, at least one guide plate (22, 23)   forming the lower edge of the guide plate (20). 12 - Device according to claim 11, charac-   terized in that the guide plate (22a) is mounted to pivot at its end opposite to the delivery member (9C) 4uo * uaAnooea op enbuTd eT ap soapnoo SOTIaXd sap ied 'eoua $ pjd ep' 9o9nrT uoo uos (' wiú). ueauuawue1p gagfnq sel anb eo ua pTig-4 -OUeXDo 'yT uoT4oTpugAaa UT S. UATne JT4TodgTa - çT 5T (oz) aSpTn., * p enbeîd uT $ 0 (9) aTeuTpnusT "uo ub" ) o2e.-TrduoJ op a.nTuqn; wT ap uoT4eoTîddeT inod (tC) uageaulv4ue & p eesnq sep 6sqq; mexxa ses aaue $ uaemmeou et1u "* g9d (z) qoTzetmo ea enb ao ue pTe4oBu-'o 'ú1 wUTUUA tUtAtO T) e * OTno 'T OP (11) lTuTpn4lSUOT Toeud OWue UT S.aG s9TTp uuog Tnb (6)! UmeTlnoJO. Ep eau "SJo sap' sa! -p. raxe xtep xn: numwUwqou e 'quaowmeeldep ap sueas enbqo inod 94uespid (Z) 4oT.IBto al anb ao une qgTjq1DwJUO' Zl BT ç SUOsTIOpueaOe saOp 9un, î quuATns JTlTsode PE - ap aeTg l 'r ejTwlnoTpuadied $ uamaTq -osueas se (e9Z): uaewa oTd ep exeI anb eo uae a ("6) tri